


The Play's the Thing

by tamerofdarkstars



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Date Night, Emotions are hard for Lars, Episode Tag: Historical Friction, F/M, Fluff, Mutual Pining, just let him be a DJ, so is talking, Перевод на русский | Translation in Russian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-19
Updated: 2015-07-19
Packaged: 2018-04-10 04:01:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4376501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tamerofdarkstars/pseuds/tamerofdarkstars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lars and Sadie watch Jamie's play together. It's not a date. </p><p>No, seriously.</p><p>Ok, well, maybe it kinda is.</p><p>EDIT: Russian translation available!</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Play's the Thing

**Author's Note:**

> Quick and dirty little Larsadie fic while I try and recover from Stevenbomb 3.0. 
> 
> Minor spoilers for Historical Friction if you haven't seen it yet.
> 
> EDIT: Russian translation available [here](https://ficbook.net/readfic/5559285/14752437) done by [this beautiful amazing person!](https://yeahbooooooy.tumblr.com/) Thank you!!

It was kinda weird – Lars hadn’t been this nervous in a while. It was driving him crazy, fidgeting with the ends of his shirt sleeves as he walked – ahem, _strolled_ – casually down the sidewalk.

“Calm down,” he hissed out loud at himself. But his heart was racing in his chest, beating blood in his ears, and he could feel his cheeks heating with every step he took.

What was the big deal anyway? He was just going to grab Sadie before Jamie’s play.

His heart thumped unpleasantly and he put his hand on his chest, frowning.

“Chill out, man, seriously…!”

But his heart was having none of it, and neither were his sweaty palms. He wiped them on his jeans and turned the corner.

It had been earlier that afternoon, in the Big Donut, when Sadie had offhandedly mentioned the Mayor’s play was that night.

“Jamie directed it, I guess,” she’d said cheerfully, not looking away from where she was restocking the chocolate glaze. “It’ll probably be pretty good – Jamie’s really talented.”

Lars had twitched, immediately imagining Jamie and his windswept hair and innocent smile standing next to Sadie, sharing a donut or a hug or holding hands while Sadie gazed adoringly up at him.

_“So talented...!”_

He quashed the vision and the words were out before he’d even thought them through.

“Wanna go, then?”

Sadie had dropped a donut, he remembered. One of those ones with the cherry jelly filling.

“You… wanna go to the play? With me?”

“Sure, why not?” Lars forced casual as he leaned on the counter, watching her work. “Not like I got anything else to do tonight. It’ll probably be lame, but whatever.”

Sadie had been quiet, and when he finally jerked his head in a tiny glance her way, he could see a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

For some reason, that twisted knots in the pit of his stomach and sent little shivers all up and down his skin.

“Sure, then, I guess that’d be fun,” she’d said, almost shy, reaching up to smooth a piece of hair behind her ear. “Wanna come by my place at 6:30 and we’ll walk over together?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Lars focused on picking at a bit of loose linoleum and tried not to think about how fast his heart was beating.

And now he was walking towards Sadie’s house and his palms were sweating and he couldn’t stop fidgeting with the ends of his shirt sleeves.

Damn it.

He knocked on her door jerkily and waited, trying to remember how to breathe like a normal person, when the door opened and he abruptly stopped breathing altogether.

Sadie looked exactly like she always did – soft smile, softer curls, bright eyes – but for some reason, the sight of her grinning at him took his breath away.

“Hi,” she said and he cleared his throat.

“Sup?”

-

The folding chairs were arranged in neat little rows and Lars stepped into the aisle first, ahead of Sadie, way in the back and off to the side.

“Look at the set!” Sadie was clearly excited, smile wide as she settled into her seat. Her feet didn’t quite touch the ground.

“Eh, it’s not bad, I guess,” Lars dropped into the chair next to her, spreading his knees so he knocked into her leg.

It was a pretty comfortable way to sit so he didn’t move, letting their knees rest together through two layers of fabric.

Sadie was flipping through the playbill and didn’t seem to notice, even when Lars wiggled his leg a bit.

“Oh look, Lars, Steven’s gonna be in it!”

“Pfft, oh great,” Lars rolled his eyes, “like we don’t see enough of him during the day.”

Sadie whapped him with the playbill. “Be nice! I bet he’s gonna be great.”

“Whatever,” Lars mumbled.

A few rows in front of them, he spotted Seven’s… uh, sister? Cousin? Aunt? She was sitting alone, reading the program, and he frowned. It was kinda weird to see her without the other two flanking her on either side.

Mayor Dewey took a seat next to her and after a long moment, Steven’s Cou—Sist… Erm, Aunt Pearl got up and moved back several rows.

The play began and Lars, well, found it hard to concentrate. Sure, it was ok, story wasn’t bad or anything and Steven actually was pretty good, but towards the beginning when the “storm” hit the boat, Sadie had gasped and grabbed onto his arm, hissing excitedly about the special effects.

Lars didn't think they were all that great but Sadie's grip had relaxed on his arm and she wasn't letting go, so he supposed they were good enough.  
  
He spent most of the rest of the play memorizing how Sadie's fingers felt curled into the fabric of his shirt, how comfortable it was to have her leaning on him. He made a few snide asides about the play under his breath that sent her into a fit of giggles that curled under his skin and made him glow with pride.  
  
This was perfect and he never wanted it to end because he never wanted Sadie to let go because he absolutely lo—  
  
Whoa.  
  
Wait.  
  
What?  
  
The word had crystallized in his mind with the force of a small hammer and Lars felt his heart jump up into his throat and lodge there.  
  
A memory hit him, a memory of an island that seemed worlds away and a hesitant smile on a face streaked with dirt, of warm lips and swooping stomachs and butterflies and a feeling like flying.  
  
Sure, Lars knew that he l-liked Sadie, ok, he wasn't a total moron.  
  
But this - this sudden realization that there was absolutely no other place he'd rather be than sitting there watching this stupid play with Sadie leaning against him was terrifying.  
  
What could he do? What should he do? Nothing? Something? Why was this so difficult?  
  
He looked down at her fingers, curled into his shirt, and a thought hit him.  
  
He could hold her hand.  
  
Easy. Right? Just a couple of pals holding hands.  
  
Pals who've kissed.  
  
Kissing pals.

Right.

Lars felt himself turn bright scarlet and shifted awkwardly - Sadie twitched, surprised at the sudden movement, and her fingers quickly uncurled from his shirt, to fold in her lap.  
  
They weren't touching anymore and when Lars chanced a quick sneak glance at the side of her head, he could see her blushing a pretty pink.  
  
Maybe she didn't want to hold hands with him.  
  
Lars huffed, embarrassment burning in his chest, and slumped down in his chair, folding his arms.  
  
They spent the rest of the play in total silence, even the part with the giant woman.  
  
They stuck around long enough for Sadie to get Jamie to sign her program while Lars hovered, irritated, in the background.  
  
The walk home in the twilight dusk of the setting sun was awkwardly silent, with just their soft footfalls to break the stillness.  
  
"Steven was pretty good," Sadie finally offered, tentative in the breaking of the silence. Lars huffed, hands in his pocket, looking down at the sidewalk and she fell silent.  
  
Lars instantly felt bad - why did he always do this? Why was it so damn hard to just talk to her?  
  
"You seemed to think Jamie was pretty good too," he muttered and she shrugged self-consciously.  
  
"He was," she was fingering the worn playbill with Jamie's signature splashed across the front of it. Lars had the sudden irrational urge to throw the damn book off a bridge.  
  
"Eh," he said instead and Sadie made a soft noise of exasperation.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" she demanded angrily. "We were having such a good night! A-at least I thought..."  
  
Lars twitched - Sadie's voice had trailed off uncomfortably and she looked miserable. He groaned, smacking himself in the face and she jumped.  
  
"What!?"  
  
"I just...!" Lars deflated, unable to find the words. "I was. Having a good time," he gritted out and Sadie stopped, right there in the middle of the sidewalk.  
  
Lars made it a few more steps before he stopped and turned to face her. She was staring at him, confused, fingers tight on the playbill. The sun was setting behind her and as she tilted her head and looked at him, Lars wanted nothing else in the whole stupid world than to kiss her.  
  
The thought made sweat spring into existence seemingly everywhere on his body and he took a ragged breath.  
  
"H-hey Sadie," he began and she looked at him.  
  
"Hey, Lars," she said, matter of fact, like they'd just run into each other in the supermarket.  
  
Lars opened his mouth to say it - to finally say something, after all this time, after their kiss on the beach, after everything -  
  
"I --"  
  
He swallowed and tried again.  
  
"I, uh..."  
  
"Yes?" Sadie looked cautiously hopeful and he wondered suddenly how much she'd figured out before him. If she was waiting for the words sitting heavy on his tongue.  
  
"I... I thought Jamie was pretty good too!" he blurted and instantly wanted to kick himself. Sadie's face fell a little but she still smiled, small and soft, and folded the playbill neatly in two.  
  
"Yeah, he was," she said and stepped forward, crossing the gap, and took his hand in one of hers. "Come on, it's getting late."  
  
Lars swallowed his surprise - Sadie was holding his hand, walking along like it was nothing! Nothing at all! How??  
  
They walked quietly back to Sadie's, but it was a different kind of quiet. Lars felt every breath she took keenly, heard every thump of his own heart in his throat and wondered wildly if his palms were sweating again.  
  
They made it all the way to her front door before Sadie self-consciously let go of his hand, smiling awkwardly at the concrete.  
  
"Well, thanks for going to the play with me," she said to the sidewalk. "I had fun."  
  
"Me too," Lars replied automatically.  
  
For a moment, it was quiet.  
  
"Guess I'll go inside," Sadie put a hand on the doorknob and smiled up at him. "G'night, Lars."  
  
"Night," Lars lifted a hand awkwardly in a wave as Sadie opened the door and went inside. He dropped his hand as the door shut behind her.  
  
Stupid.  
  
Lars shoved his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders.  
  
"Stupid..." he muttered, kicking at the stoop with the toe of his sneaker. He turned away and headed down the steps.  
  
He wondered if he'd ever get the chance to kiss her again.

You know, without Steven stranding them on a desert island first.  
  
-  
  
Inside, Sadie climbed off her step stool and let the latch swing shut on the peephole.  
  
"Stupid..." she mumbled, hugging herself tight around the middle. The playbill crumpled in her hand and she remembered how warm and comfortable she'd been leaning against Lars and watching her friends onstage.  
  
She sniffed, and glowered fiercely at the wall. No. She was NOT going to cry.  
  
She'd just thought... maybe this time. And Lars had looked so nervous, like he was on the verge of telling her...  
  
Guess not.  
  
Oh well. Sadie took a breath and headed down the hall towards her bedroom.  
  
A block away, Lars glowered at a nearby squirrel, feeling irrationally angry at it, unaware Sadie was at that moment thinking the exact same thing he was–  
  
_Maybe next time._


End file.
